UTSA emergency alert system launches Jan. 30

(Jan. 24, 2008)--Reverse 911, a new emergency notification system, will be activated Jan. 30 at the UTSA Tri-campuses. In an emergency, UTSA students, faculty and staff will be contacted by telephone, text message and e-mail.

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To be notified, students, faculty and staff must be registered. More than 90 percent of UTSA students and more than 60 percent of faculty and staff already have registered their emergency contact information via the ASAP information system.

Registrants are immediately active in the system. Messages will include pertinent emergency information and protective actions.

"The safety and security of our students, employees and visitors is of the utmost importance," said UTSA President Ricardo Romo. "This new notification system will greatly enhance our ability to get in touch with the UTSA community as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency. I encourage everyone to provide their emergency alert contact information so UTSA can best establish this robust Reverse 911 communication system."

"We are pleased that many members of the UTSA community have already registered for Reverse 911," said Donovan Agans, UTSA director of business continuity and emergency management. "We encourage you to register if you have not done so, because a 100-percent participation rate can greatly enhance campus safety. This system will be very helpful because it will be used to directly contact students and employees, rather than their parents or spouses."

The Reverse 911 system was selected after a search to find the best system for UTSA's needs. In November, San Diego city and county officials used the system to alert citizens to evacuate during the California wildfires. Other universities using Reverse 911 are Michigan State University, University of Connecticut and Yale University.